IslamicFinance.de

Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group is planning on issuing its first sukuk for its Jordanian unit later this year, chief executive Adnan Ahmed Yousif said. Jordan Islamic Bank is planning a 10-year local currency sukuk by year-end, said Yousif, without giving a size for the transaction. This would mirror deals by Al Baraka units in Pakistan and Turkey which have allowed them to boost regulatory capital as Basel III global banking standards are being phased in around the globe. In December, Jordan Islamic amended its articles of association to allow it to both issue and buy sukuk, as well as to establish special purpose vehicles for such transactions. Al Baraka is also planning a sukuk for its South African unit this year, said Yousif.

The General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI) held an In-focus session on Basel III and Islamic banks during the 21st World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) in Bahrain. The three prominent Islamic banks, Islamic International Arab Bank, Al Baraka Banking Group, and Bank of Khartoum, showed that they currently have sufficient levels of capital, far beyond what is required under Basel III. Al Baraka Banking Group's recent issuance of Tier-1 Basel III-compliant Sukuk in Pakistan reflects the Group's desire to adapt positively to the dynamic nature of regulatory regimes in the years ahead rather than any shortage of capital.

Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group plans to set up an Islamic bank in Morocco next year with a capital of USD 50 million, CEO Adnan Ahmed Yousif said. Last month, Morocco's parliament gave final approval to an Islamic finance bill that allows foreign banks and local lenders to set up Islamic banks in the North African country. Yousif declined to name the potential partners, but said the new bank would be established in 2015 with a plan to open 10 branches in the first year of operations. He said Al Baraka expected to record growth of 12% in assets, of 11% in deposits and of 10% in income during 2015.

BMCE bank is reportedly planning to create a new subsidiary specializing in Islamic finance. The group owned by the Othman Benjelloun, Morocco’s richest man, will embark on a joint venture with Saudi Arabia’s Al Baraka Banking Group to create a new subsidiary specializing in Islamic finance. Al Baraka Banking Group will reportedly hold 51% of the new subsidiary while the Moroccan bank BMCE will hold the remaining 49%. Several BMCE executives have received training on Islamic finance in Jordan and Turkey. The step follows the adoption of the law authorizing the creation of participatory banking by the parliament.

The Pakistani unit of Bahrain's Al Baraka Banking Group has raised 2 billion rupees ($19.5 million) via the country's first issuance of subordinated sukuk, or Islamic bonds. The seven-year private placement is the first to be issued by an Islamic bank in Pakistan, according to Abdullah Ghaffar, head of investment banking at Al Baraka Bank Pakistan.

Due to the phasing in of Basel III global banking standards around the globe, several Islamic banks have issued subordinated instruments in order to raise capital, including those in Turkey, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Al Baraka Banking Group (ABG) on Sunday announced its collaboration with the World Bank (WB) to begin a research partnership that would be beneficial to the global Islamic banking industry. The partnership's first initiative, part of a planned series of research projects, will be a study examining the risk-management challenges facing Islamic banks, with a particular focus on Musharaka and Mudaraba under the profit-and-loss-sharing system. The project will not only collect data from a number of countries where Musharaka and Mudaraba are being used in banking transactions, but the project will also examine what enabling legal and regulatory environment would be needed to support the adequate risk management of Musharaka and Mudaraba. The research's preliminary findings are expected to be available in the first quarter of 2015.

Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group B.S.C (ABG) announced a net profit of $143m for the first half of 2014. While balance sheet items increased moderately: total assets increased by 5%, total financing and investments by 5%, customer accounts by 5% and total equity by 3% at the end of June 2014 compared to the end of December 2013. With regard to the results of the second quarter of the year 2014 compared with the results of the first quarter of the same year, total operating income increased by 9% to reach $232m, while net operating income increased by a large percentage of 31% to reach $110m, and net income increased by 15% to $76m.

Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group B.S.C (ABG) announced a net profit of US$ 67 million for the first quarter of 2014, reporting an increase of 1% over the net profit of the same period of last year. While total assets increased by 1%, total financing and investments by 2% and customer accounts by 1% at the end of March 2014 compared to the end December 2013. Towards the end of 2013 and the first quarter of 2014, the subsidiary units of the Group continued their expansion plans by opening new branches, with 54 new branches in 2014. The group plans to open another 84 new branches in 2014, which will raise the total branch network to 569 branches, spread over 15 countries and providing employment to over 10,000 employees.

Arcapita Bank is suing Saudi Arabia's Al Baraka Banking Group BSC and Bahrain-based Alubaf Arab International Bank to recover a total of $45.3 million the investment firm transferred to them just before its 2012 bankruptcy filing. Arcapita is suing two units of Al Baraka for a total of $35.3 million and is going after Alubaf for $10 million in a separate suit. The suits are the biggest of 59 lawsuits Arcapita has filed seeking money it shelled out within 90 days before its March 2012 bankruptcy filing. The rest of the suits are mostly against law firms, consulting groups and vendors such as information services the company paid for. Most of those are for $200,000 or less.

Arcapita Bank is suing two Arab banks to recover a total of $45.3 million the investment firm transferred to them just before its 2012 bankruptcy filing. The suits, filed by the Bahrain-based bank against Saudi Arabia's Al Baraka Banking Group BSC and Bahrain-based Alubaf Arab International Bank BSC, are the biggest of 59 lawsuits Arcapita filed on Monday seeking money it shelled out within 90 days before its March 2012 bankruptcy filing. Arcapita is suing two units of Al Baraka for a total of $35.3 million and is going after Alubaf for $10 million in a separate suit.

Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group ( ABG ) has achieved a net income of US$ 197 million in the first nine months of 2013, an increase of 8% on the net income achieved in the first nine months of 2012. Similarly, statement of financial positions witnessed moderate increases. Total assets increased by 4%, investments and financing portfolio by 5% and customer accounts by 2% as at the end of September 2013 as compared with the end of December 2012. The net income amounted to US$ 197 in first nine months of 2013 compared to US$ 183 million in first nine months of 2012, which reflects an increase of 8%. With regard to the Group's plans to expand its branch network, the President & Chief Executive said that the subsidiary units of the Group in Turkey, Egypt, and Sudan continued opening new branches.

Standard & Poor's reduced Al Baraka's rating from BBB- to BB+ with a negative outlook on the back of increased sovereign and economic risk in the regions where it operates, particularly Egypt and Jordan. Operating environment and credit conditions in the MENA region is expected to remain tough over the coming 12-18 months. Consequently, S&P foresees an adverse impact on Al Baraka's business and financial profiles. The negative outlook reflects S&P's view that the lender's capitalisation could deteriorate if, for instance, Egypt defaults and economic conditions worsen in Jordan. This is the first time that Al Baraka has been downgraded. Earlier this week, the lender said that net income for the second quarter of 2013 rose 11 percent from a year ago to $42 million.

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its long- and short-term counterparty credit ratings on Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group (ABG) to 'BB+/B' from 'BBB-/A-3'. The outlook is negative. The rating action follows S&P's review of the wider implications of deteriorated sovereign creditworthiness in the past 12 months in some countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) , where ABG operates, especially Egypt and Jordan. The ratings agency lowered its assessment of ABG's risk position to "adequate" from "strong," owing to its operations in high-risk MENA countries. The ratings remain supported by ABG's strong business position, and its average funding and adequate liquidity position. The negative outlook reflects S&P's view that ABG’s capitalization could deteriorate to levels deemed as weak if, for instance, Egypt defaults and further economic stress materializes in Jordan.

Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group (ABG) announced net income increased by 15 per cent to $66 million, and total operating income by 16 per cent to $233 million in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same period of 2012. Total assets increased by 2 per cent and amounted to $19.5 billion. Total deposits including equity of investment accountholders grew by 2 per cent while total financing and investments remained unchanged at the end of March 2013 as compared with the end of December 2012. According to the group's CEO Adnan Ahmed Yousif, the good results are due to the bank's initiatives like introducing more innovative products, expanding the branch network of ABG subsidiary units, and entering new markets as well as modernizing and developing the group's infrastructures.

Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group B.S.C. (ABG) announced that it has achieved a net income of $235m in 2012, an increase of 11% on the income achieved in 2011. Other financial position items witnessed good increases as well, including total assets (11%), total financing and investments (21%), deposits including equity of investment account-holders (12%) and total equity (9%). The financial statements of the Group for 2012 showed that the continued expansion in business reflected positively on income, with total operating income of $880m in 2012, an increase of 21% over 2011. According to H.E Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel, Chairman of Al Baraka Banking Group, the success is based on its geographic expansion programs and branch network as well as strong financial means, human resources and technical capabilities. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of ABG's commitment to the Islamic banking model.

Turkish Al Baraka Turk Participation Bank has signed an Islamic finance deal of $450 million. Several major international banks took part in the deal. The facility includes 32 banks from 16 countries around the world, among which Standard Chartered Bank, Noor Islamic Bank, ABC Islamic Bank and Emirates NBD. The mandated lead arrangers were Bank Islam Brunei Berhad Darussalam and Al Hilal Bank.

With the participation of a couple of major international banks, Al Baraka Turk Participation Bank has signed anIslamic finance deal worth $450 million making this a record. 32 banks from 16 countries are included in the facility. Among them are Standard Chartered Bank, Noor Islamic Bank, ABC Islamic Bank and Emirates NBD. Nominations for mandated lead arrangers are announced: Bank Islam Brunei Berhad Darussalam and Al Hilal Bank.

Nine months ago Al Baraka Banking Group cancelled the debut sales of sukuk due to very high yields. Now that the situation has turned and Al Baraka Turk Katilim Bankasi again considers its previous intentions. It plans to offer $250 million (Dh917 million) of seven-year dollar-denominated sukuks this year.

An agreement was signed by Al Baraka Banking Group with the World Bank in order to launch joint programmes under a set of new Shari'ah-compliant finance initiatives.
The programmes have the purpose to foster sustainable development of Islamic economics and finance, through the design and delivery of activities like identifying and disseminating sound practices in the Islamic financial services industry.

The Ordinary and Extra-ordinary General Meetings of Al Baraka Banking Group took place on Wednesday 21st March 2012 in Manama, the capital of Bahrain. Discussions included: the report submitted by the Board of Directors on the Group's activities during the financial year ended 31 December, 2011, auditors report on the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 and the report of the Unified Sharia Supervisory Board on financial year ended 31 December 2011.
Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel, Chairman of the banking group stated reffering to the results that the outstanding financial results reached byt the bank in 2011 were the result of the implementation of cautiously studied ambitious strategies that made a balance between the adoption of prudent and conservative measures required.